100percentawesome

Shape: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

I'm going to try a slightly different review format moving forward that highlights what I think are the most important fit characteristics of a particular bra right up front, so those skimming reviews will see the most relevant info first. Here goes!

THE TAKEAWAY: This is the t-shirt bra of my dreams, folks: a smooth silhouette under figure-hugging clothes WITHOUT the limitations (read: lack of immediate depth) of a molded cup. Want cakes on plate cleavage without going Polish? The Mimi excels for even to FoT shapes. It handles center fullness nicely, and the gore is ... not excessively wide or high. Wires run about average width. Band is stretchy. Consider sister sizing down for best fit.

DETAILS: In previous seasons, this bra came in not-so-appealing (to me) animal prints and I entirely dismissed it. With the AW16 rose print, I was willing to give it a shot - and I'm so glad I did! All of my bras are unlined, with the exception of the full-cup 30DD - Parfait By Affinitas » Charlotte Padded Bra (6901) , so this 3 part padded half cup is a brand new shape and experience for me. Um, IT'S AWESOME. Don't get me wrong, you will pry my perfectly fitting 28F - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) from my cold, dead hands but having a nice, lightly padded bra to wear under t-shirts is a welcome change of pace. And did I mention the cakes on plate cleavage? I've yet to find a non-molded plunge that both fits AND gives me some cleavage (seems to be an either/or - I get NO cleavage with my unlined bras, and hella cleavage with my Cleo Neve, although it's wayyy too wide and shallow for me), but the Mimi fits the bill. It's not *crazy* cleavage, but it's there, and is a nice complement for v-neck tops.

This is a keeper. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that they're moving away from the animal prints moving forward - the blue polka dot print for SS17 is also cute and very wearable. If only they made this in a selection of nude tones, this could legitimately be a holy grail bra for a lot of people - I feel like it could sell like hotcakes, especially in the US, where unlined bras are not the first choice for most.
Read more
303 more words

Rose print colorway

Updated on Oct 25, 2016 Flag this

MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, tall roots, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

THE TAKEAWAY: Marcie shape + stretch lace = a winner for those who are even/FoT/or tall-rooted. Those who are FoB or have short roots might get a pointy shape with this. Comfortable and smooth interior cup fabric and stretch lace; good for those with sensitive skin. Band is stretchy; consider sister sizing down.

DETAILS: Stretch lace is love. Stretch lace is life. I can see why this comes recommended as a starter bra for those beginning their ABTF journey! I get a lovely rounded Marcie shape in this but with the added benefit ... of stretch lace, which is perfect for 1) dealing with a touch of asymmetry 2) my tall roots and 3) monthly size fluctuations. Other than the band running a bit loose (we can add Hettie to stack of Cleos with stretchy bands - ahem, Bluebell Marcie, plus all colorways of the Della and Blake), I have no major fit complaints. Hettie doesn't have a side sling, but it definitely pushes my breast tissue to the front. I would say that it minimizes the *width* of my bustline by moving the tissue to the center. In larger cup sizes, you might end up TOO front and center/busty for your liking.
Read more
109 more words

Black/Pink colorway

Updated on Nov 02, 2016 Flag this

Shape: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

UPDATE: After wearing this a few days over the last couple weeks I have to amend what I said in my original review: while the sides don't LOOK super tall in the armpit, and didn't bother me during my review + fit check, my experience is that the underwire + side boning do end up rubbing in an uncomfortable way while wearing over the course of a full day. I don't have this problem with any other bras :/ It's disappointing, and it means that I'll probably limit wear of the Piper to special occasion ... or short wears only.

Original review:
It's here! I finally got my hands on the Piper. Here's my quickie review:

The good:
- The color of this bra is even brighter and more saturated in real life. It's very striking and quite the statement piece - if you're into subtle, this ain't it.

- Love the little details. The eyelash lace at the bottom of the bra, the tiny polka dot print on the top mesh section of the cup, the lime green hooks to match the lime bow on the gore.

- The band fits true to size! I'd been worried after running into stretchy band after stretchy band in new Cleo colorways (Bluebell Marcie, Floral Della, and Turquoise Blake, with reports that the Leopard Della and Cerise Blake also suffered from the dreaded too-loose band). I was so concerned about this that I also ordered the 28F, just in case. Luckily, the 30E is comfy on the loosest hooks. The 28F - Cleo » Piper Longline Balconnet Bra (9351) is too tight to be comfortable for me, even on the loosest hooks.

- The cups are on the narrow end of average width, which is just about perfect for me. The cups have good immediate projection (are we calling it depth now? Immediate depth?). Wires sit right in my IMF, and don't budge. Actually, NOTHING budges in this bra. Perhaps it's the nature of the longline, but my breasts don't move *at all* in this thing - they are locked down in the cups.

- I'd heard there was the possibility of the sides running really tall under the armpits. I'm happy to announce that this isn't an issue for me at all.


The not-so-good:
- While the cups fit, I get some annoying wrinkling in the top (near the strap) and sides of the cup. The bra isn't too wide for me, and I fill out the cups, so not sure what's causing it.

- FOT or particularly tall-rooted folks take note: the top of the cup closes in quickly. I get the tiniest bit of quad boob on my larger side (check the angle shot), and I'm even-to-FOB.

- No super round and uplifted Marcie basketballs here. I would describe the shape as "my breasts but better" - a lower set, more natural shape. If you're VERY close set or have oodles of center fullness, you may find this to be a shape mismatch.

- Let's just put it out there: while this longline is beautiful, fastening the 5, yes, FIVE, hooks in the back is a huge pain. Save your wrists and get help, lol.

Overall:
I'm really happy with this! Love the color, the fit is comfortable (especially for a longline), and the matching briefs (a good fit in UK10 for my 38" hips) are adorable. It's a keeper - and I look forward to stalking next spring's Acid Coral colorway!

Read more
476 more words

Cobalt colorway

Updated on Oct 26, 2016 Flag this

MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

THE TAKEAWAY: Hooray, a new Cleo with a true to size band! This bra is very similar to the Panache Floris Balconnet Bra (7311), but the cup is shorter and the lace section closes in more quickly. In this size range, Minnie's shape is best suited for short-rooted, even to full on top breasts. Could potentially work for tall-rooted FoB if shallow on top. Average wire width. If you have very little tissue on the sides, you may experience some cup wrinkling.

DETAILS: This is one of the few unlined Cleo cuts I ... haven't tried, and that was only because I disliked the polka-dot aesthetic of the prior colorways. This brand new for SS17 multi-colored print is great and I couldn't resist giving it a try. Unfortunately, it's not a perfect fit. The biggest issue is the inflexible top lace/mesh section. It cuts in too quickly on my tall roots, essentially making the cup too short to accommodate my breasts. The result is that the top section both cuts in AND isn't fully filled. I also get a bit of wrinkling on the sides, but that's not a deal breaker (in general, I seem to have less tissue there than many bras expect - wrinkling ALWAYS happens in bras with side slings, and occasionally in bras without).

In the takeaway section, I note that this bra reminds me quite a bit of the Panache Floris. The fabric feels identical, very smooth on the outside of the cup, with a patterned mesh/lace portion on top. However, the lace top on the Floris is taller and more open, which better accommodates my shape. So - if the Floris fits you well, the Minnie may not, and vice versa.

A final note - after stretchy band after stretchy band in new Cleo colorways the last year, I was shocked that this one felt firm/true to size! I've lost my tailor's tape in a move, so I can't confirm how firm-TTS it fits, but I will say that it is a little firmer than my TTS 30E Panache Olivia and Floris on my 28.5" snug UB. If you're on the top of your band size (closer to a 30" snug UB), I would consider sister sizing up, particularly if you're sensitive to TTS/slightly firm bands.

Read more
287 more words

Navy Multi colorway

Updated on Apr 14, 2017 Flag this

SHAPE: round, projected, even, close set, tall roots, on the narrow end of average root width.

THE TAKEAWAY: excellent for projected, even shapes with average to short roots. If you're very FoT or have tall roots, the top cup edge will cut in, wrinkle, or cause quadding. If the Blake fits you, this probably will too! Cup fabric is quite stiff with no stretch at all. Conversely, it has a stretchy band, so sister size down if you're in the bottom of your current band size.

DETAILS: Ugh, I love this print so much. And those matching high-waisted bottoms! This has been on my wishlist a looonng time, so I'm ... disappointed that the fit is not. quite. right.

As a heads up, I think the closest sister cut to this is the Blake, which also wasn't a perfect fit for me.

First, the good:
- The print is gorgeous, and I love the little contrasting flat bow in the gore. I don't think I've seen a flat bow like this before: it's a bit more modern and less frilly/girly, which is right up my alley (I gushed endlessly about the modern lace print in the 30F - Fortnight » Ivy Longline (673-11)).

- The fabric is thicker than most unlined bras, so it has a nice smoothing effect - very little of the seams are visible under t-shirts. The thick fabric also minimizes prominent nipples (if that's something you're concerned about).

The not-so-good:
- Stretchy band alert! I purchased this both in 30E - Cleo » Della Balconnet Bra (9111) (my usual size in Cleo/Panache) and 28F because I'd run into stretchy bands in previous new Cleo styles & colorways (30E - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) and 30E - Cleo » Blake Balconnet Bra (9151) ). Looks like the stretchy band issue is still a problem in this colorway, so if you're on the lower end of your regular band (my snug UB is ~29.5"), I encourage you to sister size down.

- The thick fabric doesn't feel particularly good. It's not like the Blake's fabric at all, which is SO SOFT and comfy. It's quite stiff. For some reason, it looks really stretchy and smooth in photos, but that's not the case in real life. There's no stretch in the cup fabric *at all* so if you find you're in between cup sizes, or if you have pronounced asymmetry, or if you're very FoT, you will get gapping, wrinkling, and/or quadding.

- I have an even shape, and I _can't quite_ fill the top of the cups out. It's not so bad on my larger side, but it's noticeable on my smaller side. My usual trick to deal with my slight asymmetry is to tighten the strap on the smaller side, but unfortunately that doesn't help with the gapping/wrinkling in this bra.

- And here's where I think the primary fit issues are: my roots are taller than this bra expects, so the top of the cup wrinkles where the edge tries to cut in, and I'm too close set and center full while this bra wants more tissue towards the sides. It took me awhile to sort this out because I inexplicably have wrinkling in the cup right at the wire near the gore, but I think that's the result of an overall shape mismatch. The fact that the usually narrow Cleo wires are further into my armpits than others that fit me well was a big clue, as was that I get a tiny bit quadding over the cup right above the gore.
Read more
489 more words

Floral print colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 23, 2016 Flag this

MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, tall roots, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

THE TAKEAWAY: Elegant plunge style gives a more natural shape with low apex. Good for those who are wider set and/or outer full. This bra wants more separation than you'd think for a plunge! Ladies who are centerfull, look elsewhere.

DETAILS: _Love_ this elegant gray number with contrasting cranberry bow! So very pretty. I'm a fan of plunges because I'm so close set, and the gore on this is super low and comfy (the underwires overlap at the center), but unfortunately this is otherwise a shape mismatch for me. There's an internal side ... sling in the cups which pushes my breast tissue towards the center, but not only does the side sling awkwardly indent into my breasts, there's also not enough cup fabric towards the center to adequately contain my already centerfull breasts. Thank goodness for stretch lace because it partially hides this fit issue from the front; however, I still get some minor quadding out of both cups. Sizing up won't help because the cups are already about 1/4-1/2" too wide for me.

Shape-wise this is similar to the Cleo Piper, a less lifted, more natural shape. It's very slightly pointy, but no torpedo boobs like the Jasmine due to a lower apex. No cleavage to speak of. Those who are FoT might get slight cakes-on-plate if you don't quad out of the stretch lace first...

I had a feeling this might have a stretchy band, so I sized down to a 28F. It's not crazy stretchy; I'm on the lower end of a 30 band and this wears like a slightly loose 28 (stretches to about 29"). I would not recommend sizing down unless you're in the bottom of your current band size.
Read more
190 more words

Pearl Grey colorway

Updated on Nov 04, 2016 Flag this

Shape: round, projected, even to FoB, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

Holy heck, Cleo, what's with the stretchy bands lately? This is the second new colorway with a ridiculously stretchy 30 band I've had to send back (the first was a Cleo Marcie in Bluebell). It's SO stretchy you guys. I could fasten this on the tightest (!!) hook right from the get go. All the fit pictures are of the band on the tightest hook - it's a mess otherwise. On the loosest hook, there is so much gapping and wrinkling in the cup, the gore pops up off my sternum if ... I move in any direction that isn't chest forward, and the band is creeping up my back. If I move to the tightest hook, it greatly reduces the gapping and wrinkling in the cups, but it's not perfect (note the pronounced wrinkling at the bottom of the cups). The pros are that the shape is nice and rounded, the fabric is soft and comfy, and this colorway is just the best - turquoise and black look excellent together.

I'm returning and grabbing a 28F to see if that fixes the fit issues, otherwise, too bad.
Read more
96 more words

Turquoise colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Aug 31, 2016 Flag this

Oh good lord. I tried this because like the other reviewer, it was too wild not to give it a shot. It... did not go well. I'm typically a 30E, so the band on the 32DD was looser than I'd like. Cup width was good, and the triple front straps are kind of neat looking, but that's about it. Friends, if your nipple sits on the top third of your breast, UNSUPPORTED, you might be able to get away with this "bra," but I was not. Oh no. My nipples ended up way below the lace applique, and no amount of manipulation of the bra, the strap length, or my breast tissue was going to change that. And like the other reviewer, the cup strapping cut my breasts into unfortunately shaped lumps. I think this is really only going to work for small busted folks with self supporting breasts and (relatively) high nipples.

Suffice to say, I will not be sharing pictures of this particular failure!

White colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 06, 2016 Flag this

Shape: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

Yay! This is the bra that fits! As I mentioned in my 30E - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) review, the fit was excellent everywhere except the band, which was just crazy stretchy. I ordered a sister size down, to the 28F, and this fits like an absolute dream. Wearing this makes me feel embarrassed that I stuck with my terribly ill-fitting 32DD - Cleo » Marcie Balconnet Bra (6831) for so long. I legitimately thought Marcies were out of reach for me, that it was too open ... on top, the gore was too wide, etc, but it's only because I was wearing the wrong size!

The 28F perfectly encapsulates my breast tissue with no quadding or gapping of the top lace, even on my smaller side. The gore, which ends up sitting at a slant in the 32DD, is firmly tacked and comfortably narrow for my close-set breasts. The band is nice and firm. Overall, I get a lovely uplifted round shape and I totally dig the pastel blue & neon coral accents. I don't own anything like it.

The only con I can think of, and this is totally unrelated to the bra, is that the matching panties are both a smidge too tight in a UK 10 (38" hips, I comfortably wear 10s in Panache briefs, but I think they run smaller in Cleo) and I simply cannot get over the frilly lace edging. Go look it up. I feel like a fluffy cupcake princess / pastel mermaid. This would DEFINITELY be a pro for others, but it's a tiny bit too fanciful for me. The fiance says I should just roll with it https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
Read more
195 more words

Bluebell colorway

Updated on Sep 05, 2016 Flag this

MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

THE TAKEAWAY: Front, center, and on display! Gives something of a retro, pointed silhouette - if you're into it, you'll love it, but this is not the bra for you if you want to minimize your bust line. Forgiving stretch lace is great for even to FoT shapes. Average wire width. If you have very little tissue on the sides, you may experience wrinkling at the side sling. Band runs true to size.

DETAILS: I'm not new to the Panache Jasmine - it was in my first batch of properly fitting bras back when ... I was in 32DD; a mid-way point between the 36C I'd worn for so long and the snugger, but better fitting, 28F/30E. I've long since needed to retire my 32DD in Black Ricamo, so over the last couple months I've tried various colorways and sizes until I settled on this one as the keeper. Love the rose print! It's sophisticated and sexy. I've always enjoyed the retro, pointed Jasmine silhouette and that remains true today. Fabric is a bit stiff and scratchy out of the box, so the seam between the printed fabric and the stretch lace is pronounced under tight fitting clothes. A few handwashes takes care of that.

While the bra definitely fits as per Bratabase criteria, I do get a curious bit of vertical wrinkling on the sides at the sling (see side view picture). The wire width is right within my best fitting parameters (5.0-5.2", this is 5.1") so it's not that the wire is too wide and I'm unable to fill out some of the cup. I'm guessing this is an outer fullness issue? Almost all of my tissue is on the front of my chest, so I'm guessing there's not much for the sling to gather and push forward. Anyone have any other thoughts?
Read more
210 more words

Rose print colorway

Updated on Oct 26, 2016 Flag this